Tuesday, May 15, 2012

More

Submitted by Ms. Tess!

More by I.C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies, is a wonderful book, offering many opportunities to have meaningful conversations with the child you care for. I'm partial to it mainly because it features a beautiful bird called a magpie. Magpies are fascinating creatures. They are thought to be one of the most intelligent species of all animals. Many superstitions surround magpies. In the U.K., for example, to see a lone magpie is considered bad luck, and one ought to salute the magpie, as a sign of respect. However, they are probably best known for their propensity to collect things, particularly shiny objects. In More, we meet a magpie who has nothing. Soon though, he has something! And soon after that he has several things. Lots of things. Plenty of things! Perhaps he has too many things, his mouse friend tries to relay, as our magpie fills not only his nest, but every nest in a tree with his treasures! The mouse finally convinces the magpie he doesn't need everything, he only needs enough. This book is filled with fantastic vocabulary. It's also quite thought provoking--in a materialistic society, let's teach our children that friends are more important than things, and we don't always need more, we just need enough. The illustrations are to-die-for. Who knew a bird could be so expressive? And our magpie friend sports a noticeable ring around his leg, which can lead you into a discussion about people who study birds, and why they might do that. More is a fabulously layered story, and I sincerely hope that you give it a try! See this book listed in our catalog